Bad Angles
by ThatDipperKid
Summary: The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble return to England to check up on an old friend. What should be a simple stop turns into a nightmare when the Doctor discovers a terrible threat. Time and Space will be rent apart, and nothing is as it seems. So sit back, and make sure you don't bleed. And keep an eye on the angles.


"Marge! The kettle's boiling over!" shouted Lenora. Margery rolled her eyes, and set down the basket of clothes she was carrying. She hurried down a flight of stairs, rushed into the kitchen, and pulled the kettle off the burner. She caught herself in the mirror. She was a short, mousy little woman. She had just turned thirty, but stress had brought premature grey to her hair. She had a pretty face, with kind blue eyes.

"I know you're laid up, but you could help a little," said Margery.

"I'm so sorry," Lenora said. "Next time I go to the library I'll try not to break my arm." Margery huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"Don't be like that Mum," said Margery. "I'm just saying, it's your arm that's broken, not your legs. I can't be expected to do all the housework."

"Because you're so busy with that job of yours," Lenora said. Margery grit her teeth, and ignored the comment. She pulled out a couple of cups, and filled them up with tea. She set them on a saucer, and brought it out to the living room. Lenora was sitting in the recliner. Her feet were up, and her eyes were closed. Margery set the saucer on an end table.

"Tea's ready," Margery grumbled. Lenora opened one of her eyes. She plucked one of the cups off the saucer, and took a sip.

"I needed that," Lenora said. "Long day today. Had an hour long conversation with Mrs. Gibbons about her son. You know he's run off to Germany with some girl he met just last week?"

"Fascinating," said Margery.

"No sense of responsibility," Lenora said. "He'll ruin his mother with that kind of behavior. She was an absolute wreck."

"My job is important, you know," said Margery. "People like my paintings."

"If only they sold for more than a few dollars," said Lenora. Margery frowned, and Lenora set her cup down. She put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I don't mean to be so harsh, my little Margey. But we can't live off of my retirement forever. I know you like your paintings, but you're going to have to get a real job."

"I know," said Margery. "I really thought the gallery would bring me some new business." The gallery was set up by an old college friend turned art dealer. She had thrown Margery a bone, and had included some of Margery's works in the gallery. Unfortunately, no one bid on any of her paintings. She got several positive comments, but her name just wasn't worth enough in the industry.

"It's good to have dreams," said Lenora. "But we all have to grow up someday."

"Yeah," said Margery. "I have an interview at Brooks Books tomorrow. I wasn't going to go, but maybe I should just bite the bullet."

"It would be for the best, my dear," said Lenora.

"Brooks books. What kind of rubbish name is that?" asked Margery. Lenora chuckled.

"It is quite rubbish," Lenora said. The older woman stretched, and her joints crackled. "Off to the loo, I think," she said. She stood up, and walked out of the sitting room. Margery sat by herself, sipping on her tea. Lenora made her way through the long hallway, stopping at the last door on the right. She opened the door, and gasped in pain.

"Are you all right?" asked Margery.

"I suppose," said Lenora. She looked down at her foot. A piece of skin was torn off of the side, and she was bleeding. "I stubbed my foot."

"Ouch," said Margery.

"I'll put it right," said Lenora. She opened the door, and walked into the bathroom. She got peroxide and a band-aid from the medicine cabinet. She dabbed some peroxide on the wound, hissing as she did so, and wrapped it up. She went to close the door, and the world swirled around her. "Oh my," she muttered. She grabbed a wall, trying to find purchase. She steadied herself, and blinked. The world was right again. She closed the bathroom door, and went about her business. After she had finished, she opened the door again. She stepped past the threshold, and collapsed. "Heavens!" she shouted. It was as if somebody had tilted the hallway. Everything was leaning ninety degrees from its normal position. Lenora noted with bemusement that, though her pictures were nearly upside down, they stayed in place. "What in Gods name is going on?" she asked. Margery looked up from her tea. From her perspective, the hallway was empty.

"Are you all right Mum?" Margery asked. There was no answer. On Lenora's end, the room continued to rotate. Every time she stood up, she fell over again. Everything was spinning around her. She felt her stomach clench, and she thought she might get sick.

"Help me Margey!" she shouted. She fell again, and hit her head on the wall. She saw stars, and her vision became hazy. She decided to stay put, fearing she might fall if she tried to stand. Margery was becoming more and more concerned. She could not see her mother, nor could she hear her.

"What's going on?" Margery asked.

"Help me, please!" Lenora shouted. This time, Margery heard her. But it was like hearing someone talking from very far away. She could barely make out what her mother was saying. Margery rushed through the hallway, and burst into the bathroom. Her mother had vanished.

"What!?" Margery gasped. "Where are you!"

"Margery!" Lenora sobbed. Her daughter had disappeared. Her world was falling apart, and her daughter was nowhere to be found. "Where are you girl?" She heard something, and quitted. It was a ragged, rough panting. "Who's there?" Lenora asked. She looked around, and saw something. Her world was still spinning, so she couldn't make it out. It got closer, and its ragged wheezes got louder. "Stay away!" she shouted.

"Where have you gone!" shouted Margery. She was panicked and confused. Her mother couldn't have climbed out the window, it was locked. And she couldn't have left the hallway, Margery would have seen her come out. She could still hear her mother faintly, as if she were a ghost.

And then the screams came.

Margery heard her mother scream in horror and pain. Margery sobbed, looking around for her lost mother. But she was gone. All she heard was her screams, echoing like they were traveling over a long distance. And then they stopped. All of the sudden, Margery felt like she was being watched. She backed out of the hallway, her arm hair standing on end. She turned the corner, looked around, and saw it. It was only for a second. It was dark, covered in thick, coarse hair. It had long, terrible fangs. And its eyes were dark red, burning like the sun. Margery felt fear overtake her. Her knees weakened, and her mind began to fade. She collapsed in a dead faint.

"Really?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, really," Donna said.

"Anywhere in all of time, in all the universe, and you want to go back home?" asked the Doctor.

"Only for a second," said Donna. "I just want to pop in and see an old friend."

"Any particular reason?" asked the Doctor. He pressed some buttons on the TARDIS, seemingly at random.

"I just have a gut feeling," said Donna. The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Well that changes things," he said. He pulled on a level, and the TARDIS began to grumble. "Gut feelings are important. Gotta follow your gut, that's what I always say." "Really?" asked Donna. "I've never heard you say that before." The Doctor shrugged.

"Well I'll just start saying it now," he said. He pulled on another lever, and the TARDIS began to shake. "Wakey wakey eggs and bacey!" he shouted, banging on the walls of the TARDIS. "We're going to England!" Donna grabbed onto a nearby poll as the police box roared alive, and propelled them through time and space. "Allons-y!" Both held on for dear life as the ship rumbled through the universe, and they both collapsed to the floor when it came to a screeching halt.

"I think I've done my back in," groaned Donna.

"Not one of my better landings," said the Doctor. "But at least we're all in once piece." The Doctor walked over to Donna, and extended a hand. The redhead took it, and the Doctor helped her up. "If it's boring, we're leaving," he said.

"Oh really?" asked Donna.

"Yes really," said the Doctor. "I refuse to be bored. If there's one thing in the universe I really hate, it's boredom."

"What about the Daleks?" asked Donna.

"Right," said the Doctor. "If there's two things in the universe I really hate, it's the Daleks and boredom. Oh, and head cheese. All right, if there's three things in the universe I really hate-"

"Enough out of you," said Donna. "Let's go." She opened the TARDIS doors, and walked out onto the cobblestone streets. The Doctor followed her, pulling his coat closer to him. "Bit chilly," the Doctor said.

"It does that sometimes," said Donna. "It's called winter."

"But that's the thing," said the Doctor. "It's June."

"Is it?" asked Donna.

"Yup," said the Doctor. "I checked before we left."

"That's crazy," said Donna. "It feels like it could snow."

"Unusual indeed," said the Doctor. "Wow, we're two steps out of the TARDIS and wackyness has already ensued. You might be onto something here Donna. Normally it takes about fifteen minutes before things start to get all crazy."

"Lucky me," said Donna. They walked in silence for a while, until they reached a house. It was large, and painted bright green.

"Horrible paint job," muttered the Doctor.

"Yeah," said Donna. "Margery was always a portrait girl, not a house painter."

"Who's Margery?" asked the Doctor.

"The girl we're going to see," said Donna. "Don't you remember me telling you about her?"

"Nope," said the Doctor. "I probably wasn't listening. In face, I certainly wasn't listening."

"Wonderful," said Donna. She knocked on the door, and the two waited for a response. "I think you'll like her," Donna said. "She's a really wonderful girl. Gifted as well. Her mother can be a little trying, but-"

"Mother?" the Doctor asked. "Oh come on Donna, you know how I hate mothers."

"You'll have to deal," said Donna.

"Fine," said the Doctor. "But if I get slapped, we're leaving." The door opened, and Donna gasped. Margery's hair had turned fully grey. She had deep lines on he face, and her eyes looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Oh my God," said Donna. "What's happened to you?"

"You weren't there," said Margery. "You weren't there when it all happened." Margery sighed, and beckoned the two inside. "I've already told the story a hundred times. I suppose one hundred and one won't hurt." The Doctor and Donna followed her inside the house. "You won't believe me though. No one else did."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at what I'll believe," said the Doctor. The group found their way to the sitting room, and each found a seat.

"Who are you then?" Margery asked. "You Donna's new squeeze?"

"No!" the Doctor and Donna said in unison. Donna cleared her throat. "No, we are not together."

"No, certainly not," said the Doctor. "I'm a friend of Donna's. They call me the Doctor."

"The Doctor?" Margery asked.

"Yup," said the Doctor.

"Just the Doctor?" asked Margery.

"That's right, yes," said the Doctor.

"So what is it, a stage name? Like Madonna or something?" asked Margery.

"No, not like Madonna," said the Doctor. "More like, well, you know..." Margery stared at him blankly. "It doesn't matter. Tell me your story." Margery put her hands in her lap, and sighed deeply.

"I guess it started about a week ago," said Margery. "Some people started disappearing from the neighborhood. We thought they had all gone somewhere. One went out for cigarettes and never came back. Another was supposed to have run off to France. I guess I never really thought about it until Mum," said Margery.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about your Mum," said Donna. "Where is she?" Margery lowered her head, and Donna realized what was going on. "Oh," Donna whispered. "Oh no."

"I don't really know how to explain it," said Margery. "We were having tea, and Mum went to the loo. All of the sudden I hear this screaming, but it sounded like it was really far away. I looked for her, but she was just gone. Just disappeared. It was like she never existed." Margery shivered. "And then I saw something. Something terrible. I can't remember what, but it made me so scared that I fainted."

"Oh my God," said Donna.

"Everyone thinks I'm crazy," said Margery. "They think my Mum died or something, and I'm just making up excuses to keep her retirement money." Margery let out a shaky breath. "But it's not true. I don't care about the money. I just want her back." Margery began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks. Donna wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her close.

"You're not crazy," said the Doctor.

"What?" asked Margery. She looked up. The Doctor was standing bolt upright, looking around the house.

"I said you're not crazy," said the Doctor. "But you are in terrible danger." He looked at Donna. Donna saw that he was pale, and beads of sweat were welling up on his forehead. "In fact, we all are."


End file.
